Hidden Causes of Migraine You Should Know
Migraines in certain people can be triggered via certain foods and drinks, or rather the components of certain foods and drinks. One of the most common elements that are known to be one of the causes of migraines is tyramine, a substance found naturally in foods that are usually fermented or aged such as: – Smoked fish – Certain types of beers – Cured meats – Aged cheeses Certain foods that are high in protein may also contain tyramine if: – They have been stored for a long time. – They were not kept cold enough Link between tyramine and the causes of migraines Tyramine has been long known to be harmful to the health of individuals, according to decades of research done by medical professionals and other industry experts. Since the 1950s, many discoveries have been made that can help explain how tyramine as an ingredient could trigger migraine pain. The chemical structure tyramine is made it a monoamine. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is the enzyme present in the human body that breaks down monoamines and helps process tyramine. Anti-depression drugs that inhibit MAO went on the market during the 1950s and are still used today under the name of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The immediate side effects of these drugs were noted as soon as they became available, wherein people started developing problems when they ate foods containing tyramine while on the drugs. High blood pressure and headaches were the most common side effects. Tyramine was not being broken down properly by these people while they were taking the drugs, which meant that tyramine could get into the bloodstream and raise the blood pressure. Such people are advised to limit the foods they eat that contain tyramine. It was not until the late 1960s that researchers began to suspect that tyramine could play a role in migraines, particularly when one researcher noted that certain people with migraines who also had a deficiency of MAO experienced certain causes of migraines after they ate foods that contained tyramine.